Drilling Results

Tullow Oil PLC
19 February 2001

19 February 2001

Tullow Oil plc

Result of Marishes-2 Well, North Yorkshire

Tullow Oil plc, the UK independent oil and gas exploration and production
company, announces the successful completion of the Marishes-2 appraisal/
exploration well drilled in the North Yorkshire gas field complex.

The Marishes-2 well, which spudded on 15 December 2000 and completed on 5
February 2001 was intended to enhance and maintain production from North
Yorkshire to the Knapton power station. The well flowed on test at a rate of
11 mmscfd from the Kirkham Abbey Formation on a 34/64' choke and 2.5 mmscfd
from the Brotherton formations. The well will now be tied into the North
Yorkshire infrastructure for future production to the Knapton Power Station.

Tullow operates the Knapton Station on behalf of Scottish Power and also acts
as operator of the North Yorkshire gas fields in which it holds a 60% licence
interest. The fields have been producing gas to Knapton since 1995. The
remaining 40% share is held by Edinburgh Oil and Gas plc. Another field
containing proven reserves within the North Yorkshire complex, Pickering, is
expected to be tied-in in the third quarter.

Aidan Heavey, Chief Executive of Tullow commented:

'North Yorkshire is very important to Tullow and has been central to the
group's development in recent years. We believe that the results of the
Marishes-2 well and discovery of new reserves in the Brotherton formation
greatly enhances the prospectivity of the area. This result, coupled with the
forthcoming Pickering tie-in will ensure consistent production for many years
to come.'

Further Information

Tullow Oil plc                         020 7976 2600

Aidan Heavey, Chief Executive

Graham Martin, Legal and Commercial Director

Tom Hickey, Finance Director




    Notes to Editors:



        1.     Tullow Oil plc is a UK-domiciled quoted company engaged in oil
        and gas exploration, development and production.

        The Company has been an established upstream operation, for 14 years,
        being active currently onshore UK and both onshore and offshore in
        other countries. Tullow's assets cover more than 30 licences in its
        countries of operation, which are Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Cote
        d'Ivoire, Egypt, the United Kingdom and Romania.

        The Company's shares are listed on the Official Lists of the London
        and Irish Stock Exchanges. The Company has been UK Registered since
        December 2000.

        In the UK, Tullow operates in three areas: North Yorkshire, operating
        and supplying gas to a power station; Lincolnshire, where oil is
        produced and sold to a local refinery; and South Yorkshire, operating
        the facilities for a gas storage project.

        At the end of 1999, Tullow's reserves were 33.4 million barrels of
        liquids and 270 billion cubic feet of gas.

        2.     On 31 July 2000 Tullow announced the purchase of a major
        package of North Sea Production interests from BP Amoco Arco for a
        maximum consideration of Stg £201m. At the same time, it also
        announced a placing and open offer to raise approximately £41.8m (net
        of expenses) and signed a loan agreement to provide up to Stg £140m in
        bridge financing. This Bridge facility has since been replaced by a £
        125 million 5 year syndicated Borrowing Base Facility led by CIBC
        World Markets and Bank of Scotland. The purchase from BP is through
        two packages:


      + BP's equity in the Murdoch and Boulton gas fields and the
        Caister-Murdoch System: and

      + BP's equity in the Thames gas field with surrounding satellites, the
        Hewett gas field with surrounding satellites, the associated pipeline
        and terminal interests (to be completed, and a further announcement
        will be made at that time).


        The Completion of the first Package of this acquisition, the
        Murdoch-Boulton Package, was announced on 14 February 2001.

        3.     Net BP production from the fields in the two packages to be
        purchased by Tullow amounts to a current average of some 150 million
        cubic feet of gas a day, with net proven and probable reserves at the
        end of 1999 of 242.6 billion cubic feet.